How to Find Caterpillars in the Field:Look for Skipper Nests. (Can be difficult to find in areas where host grasses are abundant.)

Caterpillar setups:Open terrariums; Open Bucket. Click here to watch a video demonstrating how to place a hatchling first instar Poanes caterpillar on wide bladed grasses. When setting up a wide-bladed grass "bouquet" for A. vialis caterpillars, make sure that you only use the top two or three blades. They will stay freshest the longest.

Avoiding Diapause Techniques: Provide larvae healthy host plant is a great way to avoide hibernation. Larvae in the field hibernate as a mature larva. If you raise them on healthy host, most will aestivate for a while before pupating. Do not overwinter mature last instar larvae until you are convinced that they are diapausing for the winter. Any Amblyscirtes larva that pupates in the lab, will emerge soon thereafter.

Disease Prevention: Change out host plant and remove frass every five to seven days.